Tied up in a Bow
by quinnovative
Summary: A December-themed collection of Supercorp one-shots. (Lena knows Kara is Supercorp/established Supercorp)
1. December 1st (Christmas Cookies)

**A/N:** I wanted to try one of those things where you do a one-shot every day, but you and I both know that I'm not skilled enough in updating consistently (especially bc this is already late, but it happens? i'm sorry) so this is essentially going to be a bunch of Supercorp one-shots that are uploaded almost-daily (hopefully).

I'm excited though and I have some chapters planned already. Some will exist in this universe/the one I've established in some of my other supercorp/sanvers fics and collections. I might try some AUs or something. We'll see :)

If there's anything, in particular, you want to see, feel free to comment and I'll do my best to come up with something! Just keep in mind, I don't write anything w/ an M or E rating, but other than that I like to think I'm pretty flexible.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

A thud rattled Lena's desk, some large unidentified object blocking out the light her lamp was exuding to fend off the dark of the settling night. She squinted at the papers spread in front of her, tapping her pencil against the blueprint a team of interns had submitted.

If she'd had her glasses maybe she could have made out the fuzzy words a bit longer, pressed on despite the lack of light, but she didn't, and the words were blurring and, the object responsible for disrupting her work in the first place was nudged a little closer. And closer once more. And again.

The huff poised on her lips died the moment she looked up and saw the bearer was a blonde reporter from CatCo rather than a wayward employee on the nightshift or an unwanted visitor.

"Kara?" She quirked an eyebrow and took in Kara's soft smile, a smirk fell over her own lips, inevitable. "What's this?"

She eyed the Tupperware container. Only aluminum foil was visible from the outside, beneath a red lid and a reflective, sparkly green bow secured and spanning across the top of the box.

"Oh no, you're not grief-baking again, are you?" Lena asked. "What happened?" Her posture drooped in empathy, head tilting to the side, chin resting on her elbow.

"No! Nothing like that." The grin that rose up to Kara's cheekbones dispelled any remaining concern in Lena, and the Luthor waved a hand in front of her, palm out, questioning for elaboration from the other woman.

"They're cookies." Kara said. "For Christmas."

Her eyes locked onto Lena's with a weight greater than the situation.

"For Christmas?" Lena's brows knit together, and she sunk back into her chair, running a hand through the hair she'd long since freed from a ponytail when the business day ended and she knew she'd be able to finish some of her work alone—save spontaneous visits from her girlfriend. "It's hardly… Is it even December?" She squinted at the mess on her desk, this time fishing through the mass papers in search of the planner Kara had gifted her earlier that year.

Kara laughed and the noise warmed Lena in her core. She withdrew her hand from beneath a stack of finance reports and turned her attention upward when the sound of Kara's voice, brimming with amusement, filled the air.

"Is it even December? It's December 1st, babe!" Disbelief and delight mingled in a bright glow on Kara's face and her smile was contagious.

"I didn't know!" Lena protested. She held her hands up and fought a rising smirk. Giddiness buoyed inside her. "In my defense, I've been incredibly busy."

"I know." Kara's shoulders softened, and she swayed slightly on her feet. "That's why I'll postpone my more elaborate Christmas pregame festivities for a later date, instead I think we should head home, drink something warm, and start getting through these _incredible_ Christmas cookies." She tapped her pointer finger on the top of the container before extending her hand to Lena and wiggling her fingers. "What do you say?"

"Hmm…" Lena feigned contemplation, using one foot to rotate her chair side-to-side, lips pursed, head pressed against the back of the seat so her hair bunched behind her.

"My arm is getting so tired, Lena."

"Yeah, okay, _Supergirl_ ," Lena teased, but she dropped the pencil cradled in her hand and filled her fingers with Kara's warm touch instead.

"Yes?" Kara smiled and moved around the desk until it was no longer between them, keeping her fingers entwined with Lena's the whole time and tugging her nearer when the space allowed it.

"Yes. Of course, " Lena agreed, laughing when Kara let go of her hand and tossed her arms around Lena's shoulder in a loose hug, rocking from one foot to the other.

"I missed you today." Kara said, their faces inches apart.

"I missed you, too." Lena said. "Business meetings are nowhere near as fun as lunch with you."

"I bet. How was the rest of your day?"

"Long," Lena sighed. "But not terrible. And you?"

" _Well,"_ Kara looked upward, feigning deep thought. "Let's see," she withdrew a hand to pretend to count with, straightening each finger as she went, "I baked an inhuman amount of cookies after work, ate a bunch, delivered some of the extra to friends and family, and, saved the best stop for last." Kara grinned. "So I'd say, pretty good."

"I'm glad." Lena unhooked her hands from behind Kara's waist and stepped away. "Let me grab my stuff and I'll be ready to head out."

"Okay." Kara watched as Lena organized the papers on her desk, tucking some away while stowing a few in a manila folder and slipping it into her bag alongside her laptop.

"Wanna fly home?" Kara asked when Lena came back onto the other side of the desk.

"I'm going to pass on that one, we're not all impervious to the cold."

Kara blew out a long breath. "A true shame."

"Oh, however will you cope among us frail humans?" Lena teased back as she tugged on her coat and Kara watched as she freed her hair from beneath the collar, dark waves spilling down her back, pulling any coherent thoughts out of Kara's head.

"What are you looking at?" Lena asked.

"Nothing. You." Kara coughed, and her cheeks flushed a soft pink.

Lena rolled her eyes and laughed. "Come on." She clasped Kara's hand in her own, pulling it up to her lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it before letting their arms swing between them as they walked.

"So," Lena began as they stepped into the elevator. "By your definition, Kara, what does Christmas 'pregaming' entail?"

"Oh, it's going to be amazing!" A grin lit up her face. "There's cookies, obviously," she said, gesturing to the box balanced between her arm and side. "And decorating, and snow activities, and more food, games, fireplaces, fuzzy socks, ugly sweaters, matching pajamas…"

Lena arched a brow. "Wow. Quite the arrangement."

"Oh, you have no idea, babe." Kara kissed Lena's cheek as the double doors to L-Corp opened and they walked outside, met by a swirl of winter wind. "We're just getting started."


	2. Decorating

**A/N:** This is set in my usual supercorp universe.

* * *

"Lena?" Kara asked softly, breaking the quiet of the night as she turned onto her side and looked up at her girlfriend.

"Hmm?" Lena hummed. The pages of her book fluttered over her hand as the cover pulled shut when she gave her attention to Kara, taking in the mused blonde hair, still slightly damp from her shower, and the cheek mushed against the pillow.

"I wanted to ask you…" Kara shifted upward until she was sitting, the comforter folding at her waist. Her shoulder scraped the headboard as she faced Lena and dropped her hands into her lap. "Well, I was going to surprise you with a very spectacular, probably slightly overwhelming Christmas display that I was planning on setting up overnight with my then I thought, you're probably pretty used to extravagant Christmas setups—I mean, I saw pictures from the Luthor Christmas party every year, and honestly, even _I_ was impressed, and I have high standards for Christmas."

Lena put her book to the side, waiting with soft eyes for Kara to wind back to her main point.

"So anyway," Kara continued, fingers fidgeting atop the comforter gathered over her legs. "I was just wondering, if maybe you'd want to decorate for Christmas with me?" Her eyes lifted to meet Lena's. "The real way—all Vince Guaraldi and messy tinsel, no superspeed."

Lena smiled, eyes shiny as she settled her hand over Kara's. "Kara, I'd love to."

"Yeah?" Kara released a breath, shoulders relaxing.

"Of course." Lena gave Kara a squeeze. "I want to do it all with you. The real way or the super way—it doesn't matter as long as you're there, all right?"

Kara nodded. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Lena took off her glasses, setting them on top of her book on the nightstand, and switched off the light from the lamp. Inky blue fell over the room, few streetlights and stars sending a muted glow through the window.

"Goodnight, Kara."

The blonde searched for Lena's hand under the sheets, twisting their fingers together and settling to the sound of Lena's heartbeat. "Night, Lena."

/

"So," Lena said, standing in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips as she looked around the room. "Where do we start?"

"The tree!" Kara popped up from behind a stack of plastic storage bins. The ornaments inside rattled with the speed of her movement and blonde wisps of hair spread out across face. She ran a hand over her hair to tame it, grinning at Lena. "I'll go grab it."

She maneuvered the tree from its waiting-area in the corner of the living room where they'd left it yesterday after returning from their around-the-world gallivant to secure a tree with just the right height, width, and character—difficult criteria by Kara's standard.

"All right," Kara said, stepping back after securing the fir tree in its stand. She dusted her palms against her pajama pants, leaving green needles stuck on the red and reindeer-dotted fabric.

Lena laughed and shook her head.

"Laugh now, Lena, but you're going to be a Christmas mess, too, by the time we're finished here." Kara grinned as she peeled off the lid of the first box, tossing it to the side and beginning to untangle the red ribbon and silvery lights.

"It'd be my pleasure." Lena caught Kara's eyes and scrunched up her nose, and Kara had to fight the urge to drop all the tree decorations and kiss her right there.

"Oh man," Kara sighed, straightening from her position over the storage container and shaking her head with a length of Christmas lights looped around her forearm. "We're going to have to make some changes before we start."

A crease formed between Lena's brows. "What do you mean?" She moved closer to the stack of boxes to help Kara.

"I can't work with you looking like that." Kara gave an exaggerated shake of her head, getting hair in her face again.

Lena balked, throwing her hands out in defense. "What is that supposed to mean?!" She exclaimed, lips twitching upward.

"Here." Kara set down the lights and rifled through the bin, producing a Santa hat and settling it over Lena's head.

The pompom flopped to the front and the hat slid down, partially covering Lena's eyes. Lena let a pout take over her own features, standing still as Kara moved around her. The blonde's heart skipped a beat.

"Hmm, not quite." Kara rummaged through the box again.

She removed Lena's hat, settling it over her own head, and replacing it with a headband sporting felt reindeer antlers.

Kara tilted back, an arm resting on each of Lena's shoulders, to examine her work. "Oooh, that's good. Just one more thing."

There was another bout of shuffling in the box before Kara turned back to Lena, slipping a glowing Christmas-light necklace over her head and putting on a matching set.

"Perfect," Kara declared. "I can finally take you seriously."

Smirking, Lena rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."

Kara just beamed. "Let's start with the lights. Then we can do the ribbon and ornaments."

/

"Is that all of them?" Lena asked, hooking a glittering crimson orb onto the bottom layer of branches, beneath a line of homemade ornaments—pictures of Alex from elementary school glued onto popsicle sticks and construction paper, alongside two of Kara when she must have been in middle school, one of Maggie, and even older, frail looking versions from both Eliza and Jerimiah's childhood.

"Almost. I'll be right back," Kara called as she disappeared into the bedroom, returning a moment later with a green silhouette of a Christmas tree cut into thick construction paper, with a hole punched in the top, threaded with red ribbon.

"What's that?"

"Yours."

Kara flipped it around. In the center of the paper was a school photo of Lena; she'd been four years old at the time, in her last year of pre-school, wearing a navy sweater with a dinosaur on the front—the kind of clothing she'd stopped wearing once she moved in with the Luthors and Lillian dictated what she wore.

With the picture in front of her, the day came back in snapshots, watercolor blurring together—her mother running a brush through her hair, smoothing it down and away from her face; sitting in the backseat of her mother's car, humming along to the radio and swinging her legs from the car seat; the end of the school day, sprinting into her arms and being settled on her mother's hip for the walk through the parking lot.

Lena blinked, realizing the homemade ornament was in her hands, her grip so hard the paper crinkled at the edge. She flattened the crease between her thumb and pointer finger.

Raising her gaze to Kara, she cleared her throat before talking. "Where did you get this picture?"

"I—um, I called in a favor to Winn. He worked some of his computer magic and found old records from your preschool. If it's too much we don't have to… I just thought—"

"No." Lena looked back down at the paper and swallowed the lump in her throat. "It's perfect… It—Kara, we're not even a week into December and this already the best Christmas I can remember."

"You like it?"

Lena caught Kara's eye. "I love it." She held the paper close to her chest. "More than I can even express. Thank you."

Kara smiled, squeezing Lena's shoulder. "You're welcome. You needed a Danvers ornament, too," she explained. "To match the rest of us."

Lena's lip wobbled and tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, she dropped her gaze to the floor and focused on her girlfriends snowflake covered socks.

"Oh no," Kara soothed, a slight laugh lifting her voice. She pressed on the balls of her feet, wrapping her arms around Lena and enveloping her in a hug. "I love you. So, so much, Lena."

She held Lena, and warmth billowed between them.

Lena tightened her grip around Kara. "I love you, too." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, waiting a moment, breathing in the Christmas tree scent from the needles in Kara's hair. "So, where do I put this?" She asked, stepping back.

"Well, there's one more thing you have to do before it's tree-ready." Kara pulled two plastic tubes of glitter glue from the pocket of her pajama pants. "You have to write your name on the back in glitter glue, and the year, too, if you remember. So, red or silver?" She held the plastic containers out to Lena.

"Oh my god," Lena laughed, but took the red without further comment.

Kara grinned and pocketed the silver.

Fifteen minutes later found Lena sitting on the floor beside Kara, their legs touching—all the counter space overtaken by boxes of Christmas decorations—in their winter-themed pajamas. They stopped for a lunch break, eating takeout from the containers, while Lena printed her name and the year the picture was taken in thick, glimmering glue, smiling the whole time with Kara's shoulder pressed against hers.

/

"Be careful! Be careful! Kara, be careful!"

"I'm not going to fall, I can fly, Lena!" Kara reminded from her perch on the highest step of the ladder, pushing human physics as she stretched to secure the last tack, stringing the white Christmas lights around the parameter of the living room as Lena threaded them up to her.

Lena pursed her lips and crossed her arms as she released the last strip of lights to Kara. "Okay, that's true, but still… just, I worry…"

"I know," Kara said, leaping off the top step and hovering to the ground. Her hand slid around Lena's shoulder as she drew the other woman in for a quick kiss. "But you don't have to."

"Mhmm, hold on," Lena said, a moan edging into her voice as she pulled Kara back in for another kiss, her lips tasting of mocha and sugar and a hint of mint. The tension dropped from her shoulders as Kara's touch wrapped around her back, thumb rubbing gently.

"Shall we assess our work now that the final touches are complete?" Lena asked when they allowed some space to slip between them.

"Absolutely."

Kara skirted away to turn off the normal lights. The evening sun cast dim shadows through the window before Kara flipped a switch to replace the yellow with glimmering white, illuminating the room as the miniature bulbs sparked on.

The shining white gleamed off the ornaments, until the whole room was glowing.

"Wow."

Lena watched as the light caught her ornament, tucked beside Kara's and the rest of her family; and Kara's gaze wandered onto Lena's, where the sparkling was reflected in her misty eyes.

Kara brushed her hand against the back of Lena's, linking their fingers together when Lena opened her palm to Kara, squeezing tight.


	3. Ice Skating

"I've never done this before," Kara confessed, tugging at the laces of her skates and looking out at the ice-skating rink. The loop on the left unraveled and she huffed as the thread fell around her fingers.

"Kara," Lena laughed. "Do you not know how to tie your shoes?"

Kara gasped. "I _do,_ these are just harder," she protested, going through the motions of a second attempt. "See?! I got them this time."

Her ankles wobbled beneath her as she moved to stand beside Lena, already perched on the curved blade of the skates she'd rented with Kara, laces secure and even.

"Kara." Lena shook her head. "Sit back down, those are never going to hold up."

"But—"

"Listen, I know you can't really break your ankle, but I don't want to see you even get close. Let me help you."

Kara grumbled but dropped back down onto the long wooden bench. She curled her fingers around the edge, waiting for Lena.

"Between my legs," Lena instructed as she knelt down and took Kara's left ankle first in front her.

The blonde smirked, raising her brows and earning a swat from Lena against her knee. Kara laughed as Lena undid her work, before re-lacing each ice skate tighter and fortifying both sides with a double knot.

"All good," she announced, moving back onto her feet and offering Kara a hand, pulling her up into a standing position.

"Hmm," Kara hummed. She wiggled in the ice skates and shifted from side to side, feeling the difference on the rubber floor and looking down at the tight bow. "You're pretty good at that Lena."

The Luthor shrugged and extended her hand to Kara. "You ready?"

Kara nodded. "How hard could it be?"

/

Her answer came a moment later with a thud that produced a hairline fracture in the ice and would have produced a dark purple bruise had Kara been anything short of a Super.

"Well, there you have it," Lena announced, biting back a laugh as she helped Kara to her feet again, shifting her away from the posse of children wearing birthday hats and playing tag on the skating rink. A brown-haired boy sped by, ice spraying from his skate as he halted, changing directions and speeding off in the other direction.

Kara watched, one hand clambering for the wall. "How are all those kids so good?"

Lena laughed. "I'm sure they've done this before. Let's try again, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

"Okay, but I'm using the wall this time," Kara said and gripped the metal bar. "The wall is my friend."

"Uh-huh." Lena nodded.

"It won't let me fall."

"We'll see about that."

Kara stuck out her tongue, wobbling as she slid, pulling herself forward with the bar. She squinted as Lena's own shakiness morphed into a controlled glide after a few strokes.

"How?" she murmured, but Lena was already too far ahead, Kara's words swallowed by the conversations and laughter of those surrounding her.

"Lena, wait!" She called out when the brunette started disappearing into the mass of people on the rink, expecting Kara to be right behind her.

Lena skidded to a stop, ankle wobbly but the bend in her knee keeping her upright. She turned and skated toward Kara.

"I'm coming," Kara said, tongue sticking out at the corner of her lips in concentration. Her hands uncurled from the bar and she pushed her fingers against the wall to send her forward.

"I've got it!" She grinned and caught Lena's eye.

In an attempt to speed up, she swiped her foot against the ice and felt a jolt in her chest; her skates swiveled, finding no traction beneath her.

Arms flailing, she caught Lena's hand, outstretched to help steady her. Her weight tipped in the wrong direction, feet slipping from underneath, sending them into a heap on the ice.

"I'm sorry," Kara gasped, shoving herself upward and off of the brunette sprawled across the rink. "Oh Rao, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, Lena. I'm so sorry."

She rolled onto her heels and squatted beside Lena. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I—"

Lena opened her eyes and shook her head. "Kara Danvers, you are a danger to yourself and others," she laughed.

"I—"

"Hey, I'm only teasing," Lena soothed, pulling herself off the ice and standing. Kara followed on shaky legs. "I'm okay." Lena gave Kara's hand a squeeze between both of her own, noticing the watery gaze falling over Kara's eyes. "I promise. I've taken plenty of falls out on the ice before."

Kara furrowed her brows and Lena shrugged. "I took figure skating lessons when I was younger."

"No way." Kara's mouth fell open. "Lena, that's—wow…"

Lena laughed. "I didn't know you were into figure skaters, darling."

"I didn't know you were one!" Kara grinned, shaking her head.

"I'd hardly classify myself as a figure skater. It's been years," Lena said.

Kara's features softened as she looked back up at Lena, a blush darkened the pink hue the cold had already impelled across her cheeks. "You're sure you okay, though? One-hundred percent positive?"

"Completely." Lena nodded. "I took plenty of falls when I was little, Lillian deemed all the bruises undignified." She wrinkled her nose. "It's one of the reasons she made me stop, which is ironic, all things considered…"

Kara blinked, her heart a rock in her chest for Lena. She stretched out a hand, reclaiming its position in Lena's and ran a thumb over the ridges of her metacarpals.

Lena just smiled, letting it turn her features upward. "You ready?"

"For what?"

Lena began skating backwards, swift movements overlapping, blade drawing arches through the ice.

"What are you—what are you doing?" Kara's pitch heightened as Lena's movement pulled her along.

"Helping you," Lena smiled. "Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay." Kara squeezed Lena's hand even though the blonde could feel her heart's thump-thump in her chest, an inkling of panic still lodged beside it. But with her hand in Lena's, the laps passed quickly. By their fifth time crossing the hot cocoa stand on the east side of the rink, Kara's scrambling had turned to wobbly but substantial strokes.

"I'm going to let go, okay?" Lena said, loosening her grip around Kara's hand.

"Wait—"

"You've got this." Lena uncurled her fingers from Kara's.

"Maybe I just want to hold your hand," Kara reasoned and pouted in Lena's direction.

She shook her head, laughing, admitting to herself that she did miss the warm of Kara's touch. "Okay, here," she softened, pivoting so she was facing the same direction as Kara, skating forwards rather than backwards, and slipped their hands together, side by side.

"Better?"

Kara nodded, a smile reaching up to her rosy cheeks.

"How about we skate a little longer and then grab some hot chocolate?" Lena proposed as she and Kara rounded a corner, the blonde's grip tightened but her frame remaining upright.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Kara beamed. "I've been smelling hot chocolate for _hours._ You're the best. _"_ She leaned over to kiss Lena's cheek, her weight shifting too quickly, the blonde toppling over.

The ice dampened her jeans and Kara threw a pitiful gaze up at Lena, her shoulders slumped, and the pout returned to her lips.

"Oh, it's a good thing you don't bruise." Lena laughed, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Take me to get hot cocoa?" Her voice lilted hopefully as she stood and brushed the shaved ice from her pants.

"All right, come on." Lena held her hand back out to Kara. "I think you need a Luthor-evac off the ice."

Kara nodded, smiling when their hands reconnected. "Absolutely."


	4. AU - StargazingMeeting as Kids

**A/N:** This one-shot is an AU. Kara's only been on Earth for a few months. She and Lena meet when their parents attend the same Christmas party for their science association.

* * *

"I'm ready," Kara said, hopping from the final step of the stairs and entering the living room of the Danvers house. A click sounded from her Mary Janes against the hardwood floor as her heels tipped against the floor, rolling off the balls of her feet, hands interlaced behind her back.

"Are you sure you want to come, sweetheart?" Eliza asked, receiving Kara in a one-armed hug at her side. "We'd love to have you there, but there's going to be quite crowded and rather loud at times."

Kara nodded and her face brushed against the side of Eliza's black dress. "I would like to attend the party if that is all right?"

"Of course," Eliza said, giving her a squeeze and patting her back. "Let's get going then—Jerimiah?" she called into the kitchen. "Ready?" Then turning toward the couch, "Alex, come on, honey, we need to head out."

"I don't even know why you want to go to the stupid thing," Alex grumbled at Kara and hauled herself off the couch where she'd been sprawled, legs kicked up despite the gold dress she'd pulled on a few minutes earlier. "I'm only going because Vicki's gonna be there and I haven't seen her since winter break started."

Kara cocked her head to the side, still standing close to Eliza. "Didn't we just get out of school four days ago?"

Alex shrugged, already look back at her flip phone. Kara watched as Alex's fingers sped across the buttons. A smirk rose across the older girl's face.

"What is it?" Kara asked and perked up at her sister's apparent improved mood.

Alex rolled her eyes and snapped her phone shut. "Nothing." She pushed past Eliza and Kara and stepped through the front door as Jerimiah unlocked it.

Kara turned her gaze up to the blonde woman. "Did I do something wrong?" The younger girl's lips wobbled, and Eliza smoothed down her hair, Kara's head drifting back to her side. "Not at all, Kara. Don't worry about Alex, she's just upset because Jerimiah and I aren't letting her go surfing after dark tomorrow with a few kids from her class."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Kara asked as she followed out the door. "With all the big creatures underneath the water?"

"It could be, yes, if you aren't careful or experienced enough."

Kara nodded slowly, adding the information to her growing collection of Earth knowledge.

"I'll talk to her later."

"No, please don't!" Kara clutched Eliza's hand in front of the car. "I don't want to upset her further. Please."

"Okay, okay." Eliza squeezed Kara's hand. "There will be some other kids there tonight, too, so don't feel obligated to spend time with Alexandra if she's not being nice. It's okay to meet some other people and make a few friends."

Kara smiled, hand poised around the car's door handle. "Thank you, Eliza. I will do my best."

/

Kara tugged at the neckline of her dress. The holiday music clanged in her ears, the squeaking of dress shoes and din of conversation amongst adults grating their way into the clatter in her head.

At first, she'd raided the tables of food with Alex and passed the time bounding between her sister and their parents, preening under the attention as Eliza and Jerimiah introduced her to their colleagues. It'd felt almost the same as the celebrations she had attended with her parents on Krypton.

But then Alex had run off with Vicki, giggling and peering at their phone screens, and Kara hadn't wanted to burden Eliza or Jerimiah, so she hung on the outskirts of the grand ballroom in the hotel downtown.

Her arms fell around her middle, fingers curling into the fabric of the cream cardigan over her red dress. She bit her lip, breath speeding up as she scanned the room, squeezing her eyes shut when she focused too hard and caught skeletons in her gaze.

Eliza and Jerimiah were engaged in conversation with an older man, with white hair and glasses, smiling and nodding. She squinted but couldn't find Alex, breath hiccupping and fingers moving up to rub her collarbone.

Heat crept up her neck, the light from the dozen chandeliers hanging from the ceiling assaulted her eyes.

Kara's right hand tightened into a fist over her chest and she bolted. Out through the glass doors towering at the end of the room, spilling onto a balcony.

A coil of wind met her cheeks as she sighed into the wall, back pressing into a marble pillar draped in a spiral of golden Christmas lights. She heaved in air, one breath after the other, uncurling a little each time.

She straightened fully, rubbing her face with her hands.

"Are you all right?"

The voice was soft and didn't rattle in her ears like the others.

Kara peeled her eyes open, vision clearing in time to appreciate a set of piercing green, spectacular despite the red puffiness fighting their glow.

The blonde's chin bobbed in a slow nod.

"Were you crying?" Kara asked, brows knit in concern as her head tilted.

"No." The girl's voice bit at the silence between them, the distant hum of music swallowed by the night. She sniffled and her cheeks burned red.

"But—"

"I said I wasn't." Her sharp words slit through the air.

"Okay." Kara shrunk back, voice barely above a whisper.

The dark-haired girl sighed. "I'm sorry. I must admit, I don't enjoy these parties very much, but my mother insisted I come and rather unfortunately, her word is law in my house."

"Oh," Kara echoed, unsure of how to respond. An undefined swirl of desperation to continue the conversation captured her brain in its grasp. "This is my first time at a gathering like this, my—um, my—Alex stayed with me at first and it was kind of fun, but she went with her friend and I didn't want to be a bother."

The other girl gave a nod. "My brother usually makes these events tolerable, but he's away studying at university and won't be home until the end of the week… maybe later." She twisted her fingers together. "He's been rather distant recently."

Kara swallowed hard, pushing back against the memories of Krypton in her head. She knew more about distance than she ever wanted to.

"I'm Lena, by the way." The soft voice drew her eyes upward again.

"Kara."

Lena stuck out her hand, the way Lillian had taught her to do each time she met someone new, and Kara, with a held breath buzzing between her ribs, had never been so gentle in her life as she took the hand in her own and shook it softly, the way she'd been practicing; saving the perfect touch for a moment like this.

"Would you like to sit with me?" Lena asked. "I'm examining the stars."

Kara's heart yanked and a fluttering bellowed inside her. She used her hands to straighten the front of her dress, not understanding the slight dampness of her palm, or why she suddenly wanted to unwrinkled the creases in the front or smooth down the wisps of hair that'd escaped from its braided bun.

"I'd love to," she managed through the dryness in her mouth.

"Perfect." Lena smiled and Kara's heart flipped, watching as Lena turned to the outdoor couch she'd been sitting on, dark hair swinging behind her, curling loosely at the bottom, part of it pulled into a long braid, secured with a red ribbon.

"I, uh, I like your hair," Kara said as she lowered herself with practiced restraint beside Lena, tucking her hands under her legs to hide their sudden shake.

Lena grinned. "Thank you. Ms. Eleni, our housekeeper, did it for me. She's the best braider I know." Lena turned toward Kara, looking at her in the glimmer of Christmas lights and the moon above. "I like your hair, too."

A smile split Kara's lips, cheeks turning rosy. "Thanks, my—" she ran her fingers along the raised braids, feeling where they met behind her left ear and were twisted into a bun. She contemplated what Alex was to her; fidgeted the words in her mouth but couldn't release them. Not yet. "Alex did it before we left."

"Your Alex?" Lena teased, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips as she looked back out at the city.

"She's—" A flame of embarrassment ran across Kara's face as she struggled to procure the right word from her memory. She bit her lip until it stung. "Adoptive. She's my adoptive sister. I'm—I was adopted."

"Oh." All the amusement drained from Lena and Kara eyed her carefully, frustration seeping out of her form, replaced with curiosity.

Lena's fingers ran along the hem of her dress where it flopped against the burgundy cushion of the couch. Back and forth. The silence pulled between them like a taut rubber band.

"Me too."

Kara's eyes snapped away from the stars and toward the girl sitting beside her.

Water glistened at the corner of Lena's eyes, catching the gold sparkles of Christmas and reflecting them back at Kara. She blinked, closing her eyes for a long time and Kara almost worried she wouldn't get to see their green again, but they opened soon after and Lena swallowed hard, pointing out at the night sky.

"That's Polaris, the North Star," she said, each word loosening the tightness in her throat as she split her time looking between Kara and the night sky, the former pulling her attention more intensely with each moment woven between them. "You can use it to find your way home," Lena said, voice quiet. "If you ever get lost. My mom taught me that."

"My mom's favorite stars are too far to see, she…" Kara began, before catching herself, leaving the sentence dangling.

Lena's knee knocked against Kara's and she left it there, neither of them moving. "Did she work in astronomy?" Her head tilted to the side, interest sparking in her eyes.

"Not—well, sure something like that, I guess," Kara conceded and felt the weight of loneliness swing between them like a pendulum; but Lena's knee was still against hers and the heaviness retreated.

Kara looked down, saw a splay of goosebumps on Lena's skin. The blonde had learned what those meant last week. "You must be cold," she breathed out, raising her eyes.

"Well, yeah," Lena laughed and pursed her lips, blowing out against the air and watching as a puff of white formed.

Kara's eyes widened. "Wow." A crease formed between her eyes.

"You've never seen that before?" Lena giggled as Kara shook her head.

"Try." Lena nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Somewhere… warm," Kara answered. "This is my first winter with my adoptive family."

The brunette gave another nod. "Well, don't you want to try? It's kind of fun, even though it does happen all the time."

Kara wet her lips and blew gently. Microscopic white crystals glittered in the air before disappearing.

"Whoa," Lena's lips quirked into a huge smile. "You're good at that."

Kara was helpless to the smile that fell across her face, settling there and wedging something warm in her chest.

"Here." She wiggled out of her cardigan and slipped it over to Lena. "You are shivering."

"Won't you be cold?"

Kara shrugged. "I'll manage."

Lena arched a brow, but accepted the sweater when Kara pushed it toward her again. "Thank you, Kara."

"You're welcome. Tell me more about these stars over here?" Kara asked, pointing to the left of the moon.

"Of course," Lena said and shifted upward, their legs pressing further together.

/

The click of heels on marble grew close, two hours later, and Kara stiffened against Lena.

"What is it?" The other girl asked.

"Uh—someone is—"

"Lena Kieran Luthor! Where on Earth have you been? Do you think it's decent to disappear in the middle of a social event? Is that acceptable behavior? After everything I've done for you."

Lena rolled her eyes. "Sorry," she whispered to Kara before standing from the couch and turning to face the woman.

"My apologies, mother. I just needed some fresh air."

"Well, I hope you enjoy the cold because— _what_ are you wearing?"

Lena looked down at the cardigan slipped over her shoulders and slid it off, a shiver racking her frame the moment her arms were exposed to the frigid air. "Thank you," she said to the Kara, ignoring the glare Lillian was sending in her direction. "Tonight was lovely," she whispered, squeezing Kara's hand over the back of the couch, protected from her mother's eyes. "Much better than the usual stuffy-old-grown-up party."

Kara squeezed back, and Lena let go a moment later, following Lillian off the balcony.

The blonde bunched the cardigan in her hands, warm from Lena's body heat. She closed her eyes and found Lena's heartbeat, softening the blow of every peripheral noise.

"Kara!"

The blonde turned to look over the back of the couch, balanced on her knees.

Alex tore through the doors, white drapes billowing behind her as she ran toward Kara. "Oh, Kara." The older Danvers sister skidded to a stop and opened her arms to pull Kara into a hug. "We were so worried, we couldn't find you anywhere."

"I'm sorry," Kara said, scrambling off the couch to meet Alex halfway.

"It's okay." Alex ruffled her hair. "I'm sorry I was a jerk earlier."

" 's fine," Kara mumbled against Alex's shoulder, letting her walk them back into the ballroom as it began emptying. "I made a friend and I have decided that having powers is not so bad."

"Is that so?" Alex asked. "You were careful though, right? You gotta stay safe, too."

Kara nodded, about to tell Alex more when Eliza and Jerimiah spotted them. They rushed over to the pair, engulfing Kara in a hug. Over their shoulder, she caught Lena's eye and shared a smile that stuck on her face the rest of the night and into the early morning as she laid awake, Alex asleep in the bed next to her, thinking of the girl with green eyes and stars that lead you home.


	5. Ski Lift

**A/N:** This one takes place in the same universe as my usual supercorp/sanvers fics.

* * *

Kara tucked the remainder of Lena's scarf into her snow jacket, wrapping a liberal length of fabric over her mouth and up to her nose before sliding the zipper into place.

"You in there, Little Luthor?" Maggie asked as she bounced up next to the pair in the lobby of the ski lodge, Alex at her side. She leaned forward, tapping her gloved finger against Lena's nose—one of the few parts of her face visible as they prepped to face the weather outside.

Lena's nose crinkled, face scrunching as she pulled away. "Very amusing, Maggie. I'll have you know, hypothermia is a serious predicament. Just last year—"

"Shh, Luthor." Alex tugged Lena's hood down to cover her eyes. "Worry less, ski more. You're going to be fine, all right?"

Lena swallowed, pushing back the hood and wisps of hair, loose from the French braid Kara had plaited earlier, balancing on her knees on the bed that morning while Lena sat crisscrossed in front of her. "I'm not scared."

"Leave her alone, you guys," Kara groaned and sent a glare toward the older women.

"We're just teasing," Alex relented, nudging Lena gently on the shoulder.

"We mock with love." Maggie grinned. "Plus, how could you freeze when you have your very own personal, blonde heater at your side 24/7?"

Lena rolled her eyes, suppressing a smirk when Kara shooed them off. The pair disappeared, snowboards tucked under their arms, with quick one-armed hugs and promises to meet up later for dinner.

"You ready?" Kara asked, turning her blue eyes on Lena and bestowing an arc of a smile on her.

Despite the knot tightening in her stomach, Lena slid her fingers into Kara's outstretched hand. The puffiness of the gloves locked their grips together as Kara pushed against the revolving door.

A whip of wind greeted them outside, the slopes a mass of stark white looming before them.

Kara grinned, and Lena bit her lip.

"I've got you, okay?" Kara promised looking over and catching Lena's gaze. The blonde swung the interlaced hands between them, giving a light squeeze.

/

"I wonder who's going to win more races today," Kara pondered as they waited in line for the ski lift. She leaned back against the metal railing, unaffected by the cold it radiated. To her right, Lena stood ramrod straight. Her fingers wove a maze around each other as she stared ahead. "Maggie or Alex?" Kara continued as she looked out at the mountain. "I feel like I should say Alex out of loyalty but I'm really not sure how their skiing abilities—or lack thereof, really—compare. Who are you thinking?"

Silence thumped back, and Kara turned her gaze to the other woman. "Lena?"

At the subsequent lack of response, Kara rolled off the fence, standing up straight and putting a hand on her girlfriend's back. "Lena?"

She blinked, and her gaze swept from the ski lift to Kara. "Huh?"

All of Kara's prior musing dropped from her mind as she addressed Lena. "You okay?"

They shuffled forward in line and Lena's boots dragged against the dirt, snow trodden away from the wear of hundreds of feet cycling through.

Lena nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"One-hundred percent positive? Because if you want, we can go back inside and watch Christmas movies all day and we don't even have to tell Maggie or Alex if you don't want to deal with their teasing. They mean well, but I know it's annoying sometimes. So, you wanna turn back?"

Lena shook her head. A vise tightened in her chest as another couple took their seats on the ski lift, only three pairs separating Kara and Lena from their turn.

"Okay." Kara ran her hand up and down Lena's back a few times before dropping it to dangle at her side. "Do you want to watch a movie tonight?"

"Sure." Lena's eyes had drifted from Kara back to the machine towering in front of them. Two more pairs.

"And hot chocolate? That was so good last night."

"Mhmm." Lena's hand worked its way up, curled knuckle playing at her lip.

"Maybe we should even invest in some footie pajamas? Matching," Kara joked, hoping to pull a laugh from Lena, but the Luthor remained unmoving, tilting her face into her hand, gloved and curved loosely as it covered her mouth.

One more.

The ice freezing Lena's lungs had nothing to do with the cold.

Kara missed the instructions from the resort employee explaining how to step into the right place and slip onto the swinging bench as it approached. Instead, she watched Lena as the woman clung to each of the man's words, brows bent in concentration.

If Kara had to float a little to time it right, nobody noticed, and it was worth it to keep an eye on Lena as her heartrate sped up, exponential with their ascent.

"Hey," Kara whispered, voice nearly masked by the buzz of the chair against the cable. "Are you—"

"It's not hypothermia that I find concerning." Lena shook her head, brows creased and lips a thin line, eyes squeezed closed. "That's—it's easy, you just dress for it and—and stay diligent for symptoms, catch any indicators before the situation escalates. No," Lena shook her head and Kara watched her hands constrict further around the lap bar, just now noticing how tight her grip had become.

"Then what are you worried about?" Kara asked, examining Lena's frame, elbows jabbed into her side and shoulders jutting upward.

"This."

Kara tilted her head in confusion. She laid a hand atop Lena's and the Luthor's eyes opened in response, met with the swaying lift and the trees turning microscopic beneath their dangling skis.

Fear struck like a lightning bolt.

A whimper crumpled from her lungs and her heartrate surged.

"You're afraid of heights."

Lena nodded, eyes screwed shut again, bottom lip captured between her teeth. "It's foolish," she murmured, voice hard and shaking. "I know—I just, I can't—It's so _stupid_ , but I—"

"No, no." Kara's soothed Lena, muting some of her racing thoughts. "It's not stupid at all, Lena. You wanna hear what a really stupid fear is?"

Lena nodded, body still clamped up tight.

"Well, when I first got to earth, I was scared of the popcorn machine."

A watery giggle spread out of Lena like an exhale. "Really?"

"Mhmmm," Kara hummed proudly. "I hid under a table the first time I heard it. Alex had to coax me out, it took _at least_ fifteen minutes. So, Lena Luthor, I hate to break it to you, but you definitely do not get the trophy for irrational fears."

A smile edged its way across Lena's lips, loosening them from the tight line of moments before.

"Would it help to hold my hand?" Kara offered. "You can squeeze as hard as you want, I'm sure it's stronger than this puny metal."

Lena winced at the implication of Kara's comment.

"Okay, sorry," Kara rushed out. "That wasn't the right thing to say at all. I'm sure this ski lift is incredibly sturdy and even if some freak accident occurred, you know I wouldn't let anything happen to you, right?"

Lena nodded, untangling her grip from the bar and grappling for Kara's hand without opening her eyes. Once their fingers interlaced, she exhaled, quiet for a few moments before she peeked at the scene before her.

"Hey," Kara said as Lena's heartrate inched back up. "I'm right here."

She squeezed slightly, and Lena turned her gaze to the blonde at her side. "Hi," she whispered to Kara and the smile waiting to greet her, spilling warmth into her core.

"You're doing great, Lena," Kara assured, wiggling their fingers together and gesturing forward with a nudge of her chin. "Look, we're almost there."

"Good," Lena said, adrenaline beginning to seep from her frame.

"I'm proud of you," Kara said and locked her eyes on Lena's. "It's really brave—and maybe a little stupid—" she scrunched up her face and winked, "—to face your fears like that."

Lena shrugged, cheeks pinkening further.

"But also, I don't want you to feel pressure to do something that you're not comfortable with. You can always talk to me and we'll figure things out. Together."

"I know." Lena squeezed Kara's hand. "I wanted to do this." She snuck a glance as the departure point approached, the ground rising closer to their feet. "I'm glad I did."

"I guess this explains why you never want to fly with me," Kara mused.

"Well quite frankly, I find your flying to be a bit reckless, but that's beside the point."

Kara gasped, throwing her free hand against her heart. "Lena Luthor! Take that back!"

The grin shining on Lena's face, exploring the blush coloring her cheekbones, nearly stole Kara's breath.

"It's true," Lena teased. "Your turns could use some work."

"That's the most Luthor thing you've ever said to me," Kara balked, tossing herself against the corner of the bench and setting a forceful sway in motion.

"Kara!" Lena's posture shot straight upward.

The blonde's hands flipped palm up in surrender. "I'm sorry! I swear that was an unintended consequence."

Lena rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a smirk as the lift slowed and they scampered off.

/

"Ready to get down this mountain?" Kara asked a few minutes later as they approached the start of the ski slope.

"Nothing would make me happier than to be at the bottom."

"I could always fly you down?" Kara began and the lilt in her voice told Lena a quip was following. " _But_ I don't know, my turns may be too sharp for you."

Lena's response came in the form of a snowball against Kara's shoulder, breaking on impact and falling to the ground like powder.

Kara looked away from the remains of the snowball to see Lena preparing to take off. "See you at the bottom, Danvers," Lena tossed over her shoulder, cockiness swelling now that her feet were on solid ground.

"Oh, you're gonna wish you had my sharp turns, Lena," Kara called, speeding off after her and grinning.


End file.
